The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-03-04
A DETECTIVES STORY.

7
ton for many years, and took my full
share OF risks incident to detective work
but the very first case assigned nc had
more peril in it than any four other
combined. had done some stspotting'
and ''shadowing, and had helped OIL
two or three cases, when | was sent tc
Milwaukee to look after IN embezzler.
The case was stated in nutshell. A
Mrs. Pierce, a widow OF wealth. and q
woman who trusted her servants alto
gether too much, received one dav from
the East by express package of money
amounting to S14, 600. She had been
in the habit Of sending her butler to the
bank to make deposits for her, and now
and then to drs. money on her written
oi1er. lie had been with her for several
years as sort of man of all work in the
house, and she had found him strictly
honest. She gave him the money to de-
post without fear Of his being tempted
lie was not SEN after he left the house.
He did not 90 10 the bank, and for three
or four days Mrs Pierce and others
labored under the belief that he had
been robbed and murdered. The hunt for
his dead body was going on when
reached Milwaukee.
The name OF the butler was John
Lane, and he was described to me as a
sandy-haired, red faced man, weighing
one hundred and sixty pounds. and
wearing n sandy m0ustaohe. His habits
were declared TO BE- above reproach.
and Mrs. Pierce Indignantly resented my
suggestion that he might have run
away. So did the local detective who
had the case in hand. held from the
first TO the theory that he had run away.
He had been .old to hurry back. lie
could reach the bank in n walk Of fifteen
minutes, having only two or three turns
to make. 1t was at 2 o'clock in the af-
ternoon, and he could be in no personal
danger. No one could be found who
had seen him between the house and the
bank, although he was well known. But
the best clue was found in Lanes room.
There was handful of sandy hair in a
paper under the lavatory. There was an
other paper spotted with lather, in which
were enough bristles to make a nous
tache. Behind an old trunk was bot
tie which had containe hair dye
Mrs. Pierce received the money about
10 o'clock in the forenoon, and she re-
marked to lane that she would have
him deposit it after dinner. lie waited
on the table at noon, and there was no
change in his appearance, but between
that time and two he shaved off his
moustache, cut OF lot of his hair. ap-
Piled the dye, and Mrs. Pierce remem-
bered that be. was mulfled up as he went
out, leaving BY the side door.
Now came the hardest part of the
work When you know which way a
criminal is leading it is quite easy 10
keep his trail, but when YOU can't say
whether he is in New York or Omaha,
or that he may not be hiding within two
blocks of you, it is quite different mat
ter From the servants in the house
learned that Lane had always declared
he hated the very sight of cities and
towns, and he had no care for fne
clothes and society. He also had a great
horror Of the water. This seemed to
argue that he would not head for ElKope,
as at first feared. 1t was well known
that he had holy horror of the West,
having read Of savage Indians, prairie
fires. grizzly bears, rattlesnakes. &c.
That seemed TO argue that he would not
go West. Would le 60 North or SOUTH
! was helped out Of my dilemma in a
curious way. hal been at every steam
boat office aud railroad depot, meeting
with no success, and was standing in
front of the Second National Bank when
farmer-looking man accosted me with
What do you say about this billl l I
say its good and tae old woman says its
badf'
1t was FIVE he had, and the "cld
woman y sat in a wagon on the opposite
side of the street.
Why does she suspect it to be badi''
asked, as l surveyed the bill.
Well, it was give to me four or five
days ago by chap who rode out home
with US, had supper, and then cut across
TO the railroad station. / shouldn't have
charged him over seventy-fve cents at
the most, and his liberality seems queer
l was dead certain from his first words
that had got track of my man. We
went into the bank to satisfy Kim that
the bill was all right, aud then crossed
10 the wagon. ! want to tell YOU that
country eople are head and shoulders
above the average city residents in the
matter OF observation and in remember /
ing what tl,ey see.
well, one reason why l suspected
this man, y said the wife, Twas because
his hair was dreadfullY haggled and then
dyed. Such botch work You never saw.
His hair was all in streaks OF black and 1
red, and he'd gothic dye on his ears and /
neck.n
The fellow had tried to play smart in |
leaving the city by one Of the HIGHWAYS. /
but accident had revealed his trail. He 4
had taken the train at a station about fif- |
teen miles away. and he had four DAYS /
the start of me. The first move was to /
run out to the country station at which |
he had taken the train. l there found |
that he had made many inquiries about 4
tho northern and western part of the 1
State, and had finally purchased ticket |
for Fond du Lac The. description of
him was good, and was about to buy /
ticket for the same place and take a train /
due in half IA hour, when in came boy |
who had been there on the evening when /
Lane bought his ticket. lie was lad 1
who helpeu around the station, and it 1
was plain that he had good deal OF ma
tive wit.
''Yes, that chap bought ticket for
Fond do Lac, but 1 don't think he went
there" replied the lad when began to
question him.
"What makes you think he did not.n /
because. " he answered, as he handed /
down folder from the rack, he WAS /
studying this route. which goes to Port
age city. think he meant to take this
folder along. but dropped it. See how
he has marked it with pencil
60 be had. He could run up to Water
town and go through by way of Beaver
Dam. he had marked the time of ar
rival at the junction and Of the arrival |
at Portage, and it could not be that he /
would take all that trouble to throw any !
one of his trail There was ne one after |
him, AID he could rot argue that the
boy would hold the marked folder
against him. Therefore changed my route |
TO Portage city, and at the junction / |
got track OF my man. He had no ticket, /
but had paid his fare in cash. 1t was
night, and the state Of his hair had not I
been noticed, hut the conductor de-
scribed Lanes general appearance, and
said that he had changed $50 bill for
him. He might go no further than Pea
= 7 q A.